Google's CEO picks up side gig as Apple board member

Gets paid for Jobs worship

Google today revitalized its attempt to make the company in Apple's image by sending CEO Eric Schmidt over to Apple as a board member.

The good doctor can now pal around with other Apple board members, including Al Gore, Genentech CEO Arthur Levinson and, of course, Steve Jobs. Schmidt already sits on Google's board and on the board of trustees at Princeton University.

"Apple is one of the companies in the world that I most admire," Schmidt said in a statement. "I'm really looking forward to working with Steve and Apple's board to help with all of the amazing things Apple is doing."

Schmidt isn't kidding around with the Apple idolatry claims. He's turned Google into the same, super-secretive type of institution as the iPod seller. Both companies share a disdain for the press and consider transparency a quality best left to Saran Wrap. The firms also promote a fetish like quality for their goods and services.

The placement of Schmidt on the Apple board creates quite the powerful club.

Genentech's Levinson sits on the board of both companies and interesting conspiracy theories around that angle are welcomed. Then you have Gore over at Apple and the likes of Stanford Prez John Hennessy, Intel CEO Paul Otellini and venture king John Doerr over on Google's board. And don't forget Dr. Evil, Monty Burns and Rush Limbaugh the Google co-founders too.

"Eric is obviously doing a terrific job as CEO of Google, and we look forward to his contributions as a member of Apple's board of directors," Jobs said. "Like Apple, Google is very focused on innovation and we think Eric's insights and experience will be very valuable in helping to guide Apple in the years ahead."

With any luck, Apple can teach Google a thing or two about desktop search as well. We need something to make our XP machine usable again. ®